A court in Bangladesh on Thursday ordered a trial against the country's former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a coal mine corruption case.
The High Court, based in the capital Dhaka, dismissed Zia's plea to scrap the coal mine corruption case against her, reported bdnews24. The 70-year-old controversial politician is the leader of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and holds leadership of the opposition post in the country's national parliament.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the graft case in 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia and some of her cabinet members of causing massive losses - around $20 million - to the state exchequer by awarding Barapukuri coal mine to China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation in return for bribes , according to Daily Star.
Zia's counsels, however, decided to appeal the High Court's order in the Supreme Court, the country's apex court, reported Associated Press. The BNP party has maintained that the corruption case against its leader is politically motivated.
"The judges rejected the petition saying the lower court would examine whether or not the corruption allegations against Khaleda were true and so there was no need to keep the stay order in place anymore," ACC counsel Khurshid Alam Khan told Daily Star. Khan said that they would now go to trial court to restart the proceedings of the case, which was stalled due to Zia's pending petition with High Court.
Zia also faces two other bribery cases related to her charitable trusts - Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust - reported Press Trust of India. She could be jailed for life if found guilty in these graft cases.
